The Last living Souls
by AddictedToTheWrittenWord
Summary: A devastating tragedy brings English teacher Michonne Mitchell to the small town of Possum Holler for some much needed peace of mind, but instead she finds herself in the middle of a scandal involving the widowed small town Sheriff and his troubled young son and infant daughter. When all hell on earth breaks loose the bond they've formed will be the only thing that keeps them alive
1. Chapter 1

A/N: _I wasn't going to do a Richonne fic until I finished my Dixonne (which I promise I'm still working on) fic but sometimes an ideal for a story comes to you and it won't leave you alone until you write it. This story is highly AU and told from Michonne, Rick and Carl's perspective it doesn't follow the seasons or the comics in any particular order and though there are characters from the show and comics I've changed them up and rearranged things to fit my story. Comments and constructive criticism are welcome, but in the immortal words of Erykah Badu: Keep in mind that I'm an artist and I'm sensitive about my shit._

**1. Don't Wake Daddy**

The first day had been the hardest. It was the first time she'd been in _any_ school since the shooting. She'd stood in the hallway looking down it, and though it looked nothing like her old school, she could see him gun in hand covered in blood running towards her. Panic had bubbled up in her stomach leaving an acid taste in her mouth and her heart had started pounding so hard for a moment she thought she was having a heart attack. She had consider turning around and running out of the school, but she'd never run from anything in her life. She hadn't run when the young man had pointed the gun at her face so she didn't run from her first day back.

She didn't know how she'd made it through that first month it was almost all a blur to her. Every time she took roll call she would stare at her students wondering if one of them had it in them. She wondered if any of them were carrying guns. Which student was wound so tight that any minute they'd snap.

None of the students or staff seemed to notice what a bundle of nerves she was that first month, or if they had they'd chosen to ignore it. Instead they all saw her as some kind of hero, after all that's what all the papers were calling her, hero teacher. She didn't feel like a hero if she was a hero ten people wouldn't have died that day. Five students and four teachers wouldn't be lying in the cemetery and the young man who started it all wouldn't have taken his own life.

After the shooting Michonne quit teaching and sold her condo in Boston and moved into the house she'd inherited from her grandparents in the small town of Possum Holler Georgia. For a year and a half she'd done nothing but fix up the house and putter around the garden. The people of Possum Holler were curious and gossiped about her but did not pry overmuch and that was the way she liked it. Michonne had planned on an early retirement, but early retirement was not something that set well with her. Neither was giving into fear she had always wanted to be a teacher and she wasn't going to let anyone take that from her. Growing up she was the one kid in her neighborhood that always played school during summer vacation. Even her teachers had known that she was going to become a teacher. When the head of the English department retired that year at Possum Holler high school it did not take Michonne much convincing to go back into teaching, but it had taken a great deal to work up the courage to step inside a school again.

Now three-fourths of the school year was over and Michonne was proud of herself for making it this far. The slow pace of the tiny town was taking some getting used to, and her social life had been shot to hell but the trade off was peace of mind. Besides her job kept her so busy that she did not have much time to mourn for her lost social life. The school's curriculum was about ten years behind and a majority of the students didn't go on to graduate let alone seek a higher education. Most of her students didn't believe they could graduate, but Michonne would never allow them with getting away with any less than what she knew to be their best. She put in long hours staying after school to tutor students or just to listen to them whenever they needed someone to talk to. Today was another long day for Michonne she had a parent teacher conference with the town's sheriff about his son Carl. The sheriff didn't seem to interested in his son's academics though he'd already cancelled on her twice.

A locker slammed shut and Michonne jumped splashing hot coffee over her arm and desk. "Shit!" Michonne swore out loud. It happened a year and a half ago and she thought it would be enough time to stop jumping every time she heard a loud noise, but she was wrong. She reached into her desk draw and found some napkins and began wiping up the mess before it soaked the papers she'd been grading. It was amazing when she'd first heard the gun shots she didn't equate the noise with an actual gun, but after she knew what a gun shot sounded like she equated every bang as a gun shot.

"Ms. Mitchell?" A voice called from the doorway of her classroom.

Michonne looked up to the doorway of her classroom. "Yes Carl?"

"My dad is going to meet you here you know for the parent teacher conference, but he wanted me to stay after school he said he'd drive me home after you were done."

"Very well I'm just grading papers, she gestured vaguely, have a seat anywhere you'd like."

The young man slipped into one of the desk in the middle of the room and took his homework out of his book bag and began to work. "Ms. Mitchell?"

"Yes?"

Carl scrunched his face up and looked uncomfortable and his cheeks turned red. Michonne knew right away what he was going to ask her. She couldn't be upset with him everyone else had already questioned her about it at least he had shown more restraint than most adults.

"Yes?" she prompted again.

"Was it scary?" His eyes quickly darted up to look at her then quickly looked away. "Never mind sorry."

"It's OK Carl." She sighed feeling her palms sweat as she thought about that day. It had been so normal so boring that there was no way she could have known, no way anyone could have known until it was too late.

"It was very scary, but not until afterwards not until everyone had time to realize what really happened."

"Why do you think he did it? I mean was he bullied or something?"

"Carl is there something you'd like to talk to me about, is there something troubling you? I know I'm your teacher but you can come to me with anything."

"I don't want to shoot anyone!" Carl exclaimed his whole face flushing bright red again. "I just hate this school . Everyone keeps talking about my mom and it makes me angry. I get angry a lot and sometimes I wish- but I never would do it. I know it's wrong please don't tell my dad he wouldn't understand."

"Carl I want you to do me a favor, she opened her desk and pulled out a spiral bound notebook, I want you to start writing down your feelings. You don't have to do it everyday and you don't have to show it to anyone, but sometimes writing things down helps."

"Do you write things down?"

"I do and I also see a therapist. I was hesitant at first but it's been a real help, and there's no shame in asking for help when you need it."

"May-maybe I should see s-someone I try to talk to my dad but-" Carl broke off and looked out the window. "I should finish my homework."

Michonne went back to grading papers. She would not push him in to talking to her if he felt like telling her about his troubles at home he would. She had a fair ideal of what was going on anyway, but she'd never put much stock into idle gossip.

"I think maybe I should call my dad he might have forgotten that the conference was today."

Michonne looked at the clock on the wall and now realized that Carl's father was a half hour late.

The young man scowled. "It's going straight to voicemail."

"Well, Michonne said straightening a stack of papers, if he's not here in fifteen minutes I'll give you a lift home."

"Do you know where I live?"

"I'm sure I can find it if you gave me directions."

"OK." Carl mumbled and slumped down into his seat.

After twenty minutes had passed Michonne decided that she could wait no longer. She had things she needed to do and she was sure that Carl would like to get home. "Do you have all of your things?"

"Yes Ms. Mitchell." Carl replied pulling his backpack on to his shoulders.

"Good then let's go pay your father a visit shall we."

**2**

Carl was embarrassed to have Ms. Mitchell in his house. Nothing was ever clean any more, he watched as she took in the piles of dirty laundry on the couch and Judith's toys spread haphazardly all over the living room floor. The TV was still on and his dad was snoring away on the couch still in his sheriff's uniform. Judith was crying in her playpen and when she saw her brother she pulled herself up and reached her chubby arms out for him.

"Hey, hey Jude." He cooed lifting up his sister and rocking her in his arms. "Her pullup is wet." He explained to Ms. Mitchell and then turned his eyes towards the couch where his father was still sleeping. "He's usually not like this but he's been working nights now." Carl explained feeling the need to justify his father. They weren't getting along lately but he still didn't want anyone thinking badly of him.

"Seems as though your father has a lot on his plate." Ms. Mitchell said evenly.

His father woke with a start. "Carlisthatyou?"

"Yeah dad it's me and Ms. Mitchell."

"Who?" He asked sitting up and grounding the sleep out of his eyes.

"I'm Michonne Mitchell Carl's English teacher we were supposed to have a parent teacher conference today."

"Shit that was today!"

"Dad!"

"Sorry Carl." His father apologized sheepishly. "Mrs. Mitchell I'm so sorry. I must have overslept I just got switched to the graveyard shift and I guess I'm not used to it yet." He stood up and raked his fingers through his hair. "My name is Rick." He held out his hand

"It's Ms. Mitchell and it's fine this time." She said shaking his father's hand.

"I really am sorry."

"Shall we talk now?" Ms. Mitchell asked and Carl smirked from her tone of voice he could tell it was not really a question it was a demand.

Carl did not get to hear his father's response because he took his sister to her room so that he could change her pullup. Judith's room was the only room in the house that always remained clean. No matter how hectic things got his father at least made sure Judith had everything she needed whether it be clean clothes, food or plenty of hugs and kisses.

Carl wasn't sure how he felt when his mom first told him she was going to have a baby. Part of him had been glad because his parents had been fighting an awful lot and he thought a baby might make them get along better, but he'd been wrong. He'd been very wrong.

After Judith was born his mom had changed. She stayed in bed for days at a time and she would leave Judith in the crib crying. His mother who prided herself on her looks wouldn't change her clothes for days or comb her hair and it always seemed to Carl that she was crying. He never fully understood what was wrong with her but he'd heard the women at his church saying his mom had the "baby blues."

"It will pass." They said. "These new moms are so fragile in my day we didn't have all this postpartum nonsense." They said. Carl had hated that hated how everyone in town talked about his mom as if she could not hear what they were saying about her. When his mother had forgotten Judith at the pediatricians everyone in town had something to say about that. Her friends refused to talk to her and she'd been kicked out of the PTA, and even his dad had screamed at her for being a bad mother. Two days after the pediatrician incident his mother had asked him to take Judith to the park and when he'd come back home the police and fire department were there and his dad was crying.

**3**

Rick knew he was about to be told off. Carl's new English teacher had been trying to talk to him for quite sometime but he kept putting her off. Lately it had been his habit to put off all the unpleasant things in his life. His parents were on his back to move back in with them on their Kentucky horse farm. Lori's parents kept leaving messages on his phone wanting him to come down to Atlanta so that they could see their newest grandchild. Carl would hardly speak to him anymore and Rick could hardly blame him. He had not been there for his wife like he should have. Lori had been depressed when Carl was born but it had not been so bad then, or maybe he'd been more supportive then.

Things were different with this second pregnancy. When they had Carl they were still young and lived in a tiny apartment above a bowling alley and life had seemed like an exciting adventure. With Judith he had a mortgage, two car notes, credit card debt and now two kids he would have to put through college. He wasn't young anymore either. He was closer to forty an age he had not prepared himself for, an age he never saw himself reaching. He thought of what a baby would mean at forty but he didn't stop to think what having a baby meant to Lori.

He'd been a selfish prick and the irony of it all was that he finally knew depression. He knew what it was like to physically not be able to get out of bed because going through the motions of another day were so overwhelming you wanted to sleep forever. He knew what it was like to be so apathetic towards living that you could step in front of a truck and not care if it hit you. He knew what it was to slip into a place so dark and deep that there seem to be no way out, and it was probably only an inkling of what Lori felt. He knew now that depression was physical just as much as it was mental. He had failed Lori and in failing her he'd failed his son and daughter.

"I'm very concerned Mr. Grimes." Ms. Mitchell began.

"Please call me Rick."

"I'm very concerned about your son and you quite frankly."

"I'm concerned about Carl too, but he won't talk to me he just bottles everything up but I know he's hurting."

"Have you ever consider talking to anyone?"

"What like a shrink?"

"A psychiatrist Mr. Grimes. I think you and your son would both benefit from talking to someone."

"You mean someone other than me."

"I think your son would like to talk to you but doesn't know how. I don't know the particulars of what happened in your life, but I do know it's having a profound effect on your son and despite all of that he's still a very good student with a very good head on his shoulders so you most be doing something right, but I won't lie what I walked in on today is concerning."

"I know it's the switch to night shift it'll take some time getting used to but we'll get there."

"I think that's only part of your problem. As a teacher I really should report matters like this, but I consider myself a pretty good judge of character Mr. Grimes and you don't seem like a bad man just an overwhelmed one. So I won't make a report to CPS for now, but I warn you if I don't see a marked improvement in Carl by the end of the school year I will report you sheriff or not. Are we clear on that Mr. Grimes?"

"Crystal Ms. Mitchell and please call me Rick."


	2. Chapter 2 Lend me your ear

**2. Lend me your ears**

The smell of fresh brewing coffee woke Michonne up as it always did in the morning. Her cat Allegory jumped on her bed and began rubbing her head under Michonne's chin.

"Hi there Alley." Michonne greeted scratching her cat on the head. Allegory purred loudly and then hopped off the bed meowing for her breakfast. She followed her cat into the kitchen and plopped a can of Fancy Feast in her bowl. Allegory wound herself around Michonne's ankles in thanks before devouring her food.

She poured herself a cup of coffee and dropped a bagel into her toaster. Already she was dreading today one of her students, Nick Hayden, had plagiarized his essay and the school policy for that was an immediate suspension. Michonne was more than sure that Nick's father was going to contest the suspension. . She had already had a run in with Nick's father for assigning her students to read Not Without Laughter.

"Ms. Mitchell and I heard all about you saving them kids, but I just don't see how reading a book written by a dead colored man is gonna help my son." He'd actually used the word colored. "Maybe you could give him a different book to read."

Michonne had smiled politely. "Your son can read the same book as everyone else or he can take a failing grade for not doing the work." She would not budge or change her coursework to placate a bigoted parent.

"Wish me luck Alley." Michonne said to her cat who was now licking herself clean. After showering she walked into her closet and decided on an outfit to wear. Her work clothes consisted mainly of designer dresses she brought on sell and stylish high heels. Some of the older teachers thought she dressed too flashy. This was expressed in looks rather than words, but as long as her clothes were within the dress code and as long as she was paying for her wardrobe she'd dress how she wanted to. She picked out a white silk-crepe V-neck dress with slit sleeves and a ruffled trim. She threw her hair into a bun. She never wore very much make up she liked a clean fresh natural look. After she checked that she looked OK she made her way to the work.

Michonne parked in her usual space and headed into school. Many of her students greeted her, and she smiled and greeted them back, as she made her way to the principal's office.

Nick was already in the office sitting behind the principal's desk chewing on his nails. He glared daggers at her as she came through the door. Michonne chose to ignore him and took a seat next to Mr. Waters the school principal.

"Nick do you know why you're here?" Mr. Waters questioned.

"No." He said.

"The paper you wrote for Ms. Mitchell's English class was plagiarized, Miss Mitchell printed this copy from the internet. Do you have anything to say in your defense."

"Is it really that big of a deal? I mean can't I write a make up paper?"

"I'm afraid not you know the rules I'm going to have to suspend you."

"You can't suspend me!" Nick yelled his face red as a beet and his eyes bulged in their sockets.

Michonne sighed.

"My dad's lawyer is gonna hear about this he's not going to let this happen."

"It's already happened." Mr. Waters explained calmly.

Nick jumped out of his chair and lunged forward and pounded his fist on the desk. "You'll pay for this you fucking bitch!"

"That's enough!" Mr. Waters shouted he too stood up. "You're looking at an expulsion now. You can't threaten teachers!"

"I don't care! If you expel me I swear I'll fuck her up!"

"Are you all right?"

"I'll be fine." Michonne said. Mr. Waters had called the police after Nick had threatened her, and Michonne was not surprised Sheriff Grimes was the one to respond to the call. She knew better than anyone else how importantly schools took verbal threats.

"We've taken the young Mr. Hayden down to the station and we'll put a patrol car outside of your house for tonight just to be safe." Rick assured her.

Michonne couldn't help but notice how different the Sheriff looked now that he was alert and in his full sheriff's uniform. He looked capable and authoritative not words she would have used to describe him when she had first met him.

"Thank you."

"It's the least we could do." He said. "We're very thankful to have a teacher like you here at Possum Holler and I'm sorry this had to happen to you."

"Are you sure you'll be OK?" Mr. Waters asked. "If you need to take the rest of the day off I'll understand."

"No if you don't mind I'd just like to get back to class."

"I'll walk you there." Rick offered.

Michonne was going to say that wasn't necessary but she got the feeling that Rick wanted to talk to her.

"I just want to thank you. I didn't get to tell you this before, but at the risk of embarrassing my son, you're Carl's favorite teacher. He talks about you all the time."

"I'm glad, Carl has a very active imagination and a lot of potential as a writer."

"Really and here I was worried he was rotting his brain with all those video games and comics."

"Well had you come to the conference I set up I could have told you what a wonderful student Carl is."

"Touché."

"I'm sorry I shouldn't be trying to make you feel bad, you've enough your dealing with. I just want you to nurture the potential in your son." Michonne stopped outside of her classroom.

"No I deserve it."

"Have you found someone for the two of you to talk to yet?."

"No, I'm still thinking about it."

"Don't think too hard." Michonne said and walked into her class room. "I'll see you later Mr. Grimes I'm sure.

"You'll see me tonight." Rick called.

Michonne spun around and stuck her head out of the door. "Excuse me?"

"I told you I was going to put a patrol car outside of your house, well whose patrol car do you think it's going to be?" Rick flashed her a boyish smile.

Michonne smiled back. "I'll see you tonight."

**2**

"Hey did you hear?" Carl's best friend Roy Wayne Paul asked.

"Hear what?" He plunked a carton of milk on his lunch tray and moved down the line.

"About your dad?"

"What happened!" Carl felt his stomach drop to his feet had his dad been shot? That was one of his biggest fears, his father dying and making him and Judith orphans.

"Your dad escorted Nick Hayden out of school in cuffs dude! He got expelled for pulling a knife on Ms. Mitchell dude!"

"No he didn't snapped Jessica Styles. Jessica was head cheerleader and the most popular girl in the ninth grade, and normally wouldn't be caught dead talking to Carl, but he guessed rumor spreading allowed for a little wiggle room. "He put out a mob hit on her."

"Wrong! Nick pushed Ms. Mitchell down a flight of stairs." Carl's other friend Kevin Sternberg informed Jessica. Kevin always tried to flirt with Jessica and always made a fool of himself.

"Really?" Jessica said with a roll of her eyes and a flick of her hair. "Then why is there no ambulance? I swear you guys will believe anything."

"Doesn't matter Carl will tell me what really happened when he finds out." Roy Wayne Paul said reaching for a slice of pizza. "Won't you."

Carl shrugged indifferently. He wasn't surprised that Nick had been expelled, in fact he was glad, the kid was a psycho. Nick was the ring leader of the kids who picked on him. Nick had shoved Carl into lockers, shoved his head into toilets. Nick told everyone Carl's mom had killed herself because her son was such a disappointment.

"This probably won't be Nick's first time in jail he's got all the makings of a future serial killer." Kevin said.

"Future? Dude he's probably already killed and we just don't know it. Remember the time he broke my nose in dodge ball?" Roy Wayne Paul added. "I hope your dad puts him in the cell with the really violent offenders dude."

Carl snorted. "What violent offenders? The worst crime that ever happened here was with Mr. Casper and his pig and that wasn't violent just disturbing."

"I'm eating." Roy Wayne Paul moaned and Carl and Kevin dissolved into laughter.

Kevin stopped laughing and looked serious for a moment. "You don't really think Nick hurt Ms. Mitchell do you?"

"We've got English next period so I guess we'll find out." Roy Wayne Paul replied.

English was one of the few classes Carl looked forward to. Ms. Mitchell never gave out too much homework or called on students when she knew they didn't know the answer.

"I'm sure nothing bad happened to her my dad would have told me if there was, plus there would have been some kind of announcement." Carl opened his milk drained the carton and then crushed it flat. Carl made up his mind that he would talk to his dad when he got home from school to warn him what a psycho Nick was. He couldn't tell his father about being bullied by Nick it was just too embarrassing but he'd get his point across. If something happened to Ms. Mitchell it would be as almost as bad as something happening to his dad. She was the only other adult right now in his life that he could trust.

Carl could still clearly remember at the beginning of the semester when his class had done biographies on famous authors. One girl in his class had done a biography on Sylvia Plath and once she'd been called up in front of the class to do her oral presentation Carl had known it was coming.

"Hey Carl wasn't that your mom's favorite author?" Nick had said loudly. "I'll bet Sylvia's poems really took her breath away hun Carl?"

Carl had felt his cheeks flame as everyone in class had looked at him and a few students even snickered. He wanted to get up and punch Nick in his stupid face, but Nick was both taller and bigger than Carl, so he'd just sat there knowing that Nick was only getting warmed up. He bit at the inside of his lip so that the tears that were welling up in his eyes wouldn't fall. If he cried in front of Nick he might as well change schools because Nick would never let him live it down. Teachers never stopped Nick from picking on people they usually just found a way to put the blame on the student who was on the receiving end of the torment for not being able to take it. Not Ms. Mitchell though.

"Is there a reason why you're talking while another student is trying to give a report Nick?"

Nick had looked nonplussed that a teacher would have the temerity to reprimand him in front of the class. "Please come to the front of the class and tell us all what you find so funny about suicide."

Nick, who had remained in his seat, slumped down. "I don't think it's funny I just think that people who commit suicide are selfish and going to hell."

"Well Nick unless you're a professional who's been trained to know why people do commit suicide then I don't think your opinion is very valid or wanted, and unless I ask you for it I'd very much like you to keep it to yourself. Now the next time you interrupt my class to make a blanket statement about things you know nothing about you'll be serving a weeks worth of detentions."

Up until that point no one in class had ever head Ms. Mitchell's angry voice. She didn't yell her voice came out low, calm and collected and that some how made it all the more intimidating. From that moment Carl knew that he was going to like Ms. Mitchell. He was going to like her a lot.

**3**

"Dad can I talk to you?"

Rick opened his eyes and sat up on his bed, he was trying to get some much needed rest, but talking to his son who'd been so distance towards him since Lori's death was better more important than rest.

"Yeah?" He tried not to show his surprise, but it had been so long since Carl had come to talk to him voluntarily that he couldn't keep his face blank.

"Is Nick going to jail?"

"What he did was just a misdemeanor since he didn't have a weapon on him, so I'm afraid not."

"Is he gong to be in trouble at all? He's not exactly harmless just ask the kids at school."

"He'll get probation", but I'm not going to let anything happen to Ms. Mitchell I promise. I'm going to make a welfare check on her and watch her house for awhile. Trust me no one is going to try anything stupid with a cop car sitting outside of her house."

"Good."

"Ms. Mitchell told me you're one of her better students said you have a real talent for writing."

"Ms. Mitchell said that?"

"She did. So what kind of stuff to you write about? All kinds of things I'll bet."

"It's kind of private dad."

"Oh right." Every time he made two steps forward with his son it was to only take two steps back. He could still remember when Carl had wanted to be just like him. He had loved going to the police department so he could sit behind his desk and wear his hat and now Carl couldn't even stand to be in the same room with him. 'You hungry I made sloppy Joes."

"No, I already ate"

Since Lori died they didn't even eat dinner together anymore. Lori had been fanatic about them eating dinner together every night and that was something that he missed. The bridge between the two of them seem to be growing wider everyday and soon Carl would be in college and Judith would be dating and neither of them would need him and all he would have is his Harry Chapin cd's and his pension. He wonder what it was about Michonne that made his son want to open up to her? What skill did she have with Carl that he was lacking or was it simply because she wasn't his parent? He could ask her what Carl wrote about though she probably would not tell him, and he did not like feeling like he had to spy on his child to find out about him. He sighed. If only he wasn't such a lousy father. If only he'd taken Lori's depression more seriously. If only he'd been there that day or if the Fed Ex delivery arrived a little sooner. If. If. If. That one word had taken over his whole life. He couldn't go back and change things but he could not accept things as they were.

He looked at his son. Sometimes Carl looked so much like Lori it made him want to weep. What if Carl was depressed would he know, and even if he did know would he know what to do about it? If. If. If. There was that word again. Ms. Mitchell had told him he needed to talk to someone, well she was someone and she knew both him and Carl, and he was going to be on patrol at her place tonight. It made perfectly logical sense to Rick that he should talk to her he hoped she wouldn't mind.


	3. Chapter 3 Hot for teacher

**3. Hot for Teacher**

Michonne hummed to herself as she chopped romaine for her lunch the next day at work. Allegory yowled a her feet hoping for a bite of something to eat.

"You don't even like salad so stop begging." Michonne scolded. She rinsed the romaine off in the sink and began slicing up a tomato to add to the salad. Allegory was still unconvinced that Michonne wasn't making something for her and began circling around her ankle. "All right you little stinker I give in you can have a treat." She conceded unable to ignore her very vocal Siamese.

Michonne was looking in the pantry of the cat treats when her doorbell rang. "Who is it?" Michonne called out as she made her way to the front door.

"Officer Rick Grimes, I'm here making a welfare check."

Michonne stood on her tiptoes and looked through the peep hole you could never be too safe. When she saw Rick's face she smiled and opened her door.

Michonne stepped back from the doorway. "Come in."

"Everything OK?"

" So far yes."

" Good. You've a nice place." Rick said looking around. "Very nice house, craftsman?"

"Yes my grandfather build this house from blueprints he got out of the sears catalog. Can I get you anything?"

"Coffee if it wouldn't be too much trouble."

"None at all, how do you take it?"

"One cream three sugars."

"Follow me."

"Who's this pretty kitty?" Rick asked bending down to pet her cat who'd come into the living room to check him out.

"That's Allegory, Alley for short."

Rick smiled. "Allegory I like it."

Michonne busied herself making the coffee and then got down a plate and arranged some Pepperidge farm Milano cookies on it. She took it all to the table and Rick followed her.

"I've been thinking about how you said that I should talk to someone, and I was wondering if I could talk to you, not like a therapist or anything. I just have a few questions about my son that I thought that you could answer."

"Of course."

"Does Carl seem happy in school? Does he get along with his friends?" Rick asked her. "I know these are questions I probably should know the answers to, but I can't get him to open up to me."

"As far as I can tell Carl is coping and his friends are good kids, but coping isn't the same as being happy and I really do think you should see someone a professional someone."

"I know, I know but it's hard, when it comes to opening up Carl is just as stubborn as I am."

"You're opening up to me and you don't know me very well."

"You've got this connection with my son so it's different. I think he'd be worse off if it weren't for you. Carl was close with his mother and now that she's gone he's just shut down"

Michonne put her hand on Rick's. "I'm so sorry about your wife. Carl showed me a picture of her she was a lovely woman."

Rick smiled. "She was and I took her for granted. I took everything I used to have for granted."

"You can't keep beating yourself up or thinking what if. You'll never be able to move forward if you don't and that's not healthy for you or your children."

"I'm sorry." Rick said suddenly. "I keep forgetting you've been through a trauma yourself you're right I shouldn't be burdening you with all my problems I should see a therapist."

Michonne finished her coffee and offered Rick the last cookie which he took. "I don't mind talking to you, but I'm not a professional so I don't know how much real help I can offer you."

"You've been more help than you know." Rick said standing up. He collected the dishes, took them over to the sink, washed them up and then put them on the draining board

"Thanks for checking on me."

" You're welcome. I should be going now." He put his hat back on and Michonne walked him to the front door. Rick pulled out his wallet and fished out a business card. "Here's a card with my direct line on it if you do run into any trouble promise you'll call me and I'll be here right away."

"I promise if you promise me you'll talk to your son maybe even take him and Judith out somewhere."

"Cross my heart ."

When Rick had gone Michonne locked her front door and leaned up against it. "What have I gotten myself into Alley?"

**2**

Rick decided that he was going to follow some of Michonne's advice. He was going to get his son to open up to him or die trying. He had some time off work he decided he was going to reconnect with his children. Today he was taking Judith to the park for a picnic lunch and hopefully he could get Carl to go with them.

"Ready to feed the ducks Jude?" He asked his daughter as he tossed her into the air then caught her.

Judith squealed with delight feeding the ducks was one of her favorite activities.

Carl was in his room playing one of his video games. Rick knocked on his door and a few moments later it opened. "I'm taking Jude to the park to feed the ducks want to come with?"

"OK."

"All right then." Rick smiled feeling like for once things were finally going right.

"Don't forget Jude's toy boats you know how loud she can scream."

"I didn't forget and I packed lunch too."

After Carl had changed he help load everything up into their Durango. It was a perfect day out low humidity but with lots of sun and not a cloud in the sky. Possum Holler Park was packed with families who decided to take in the wonderful weather as well. Rick parked the Durango and as soon as he stepped foot into the parking lot Judith began wriggling to get out of Rick's arm.

"I'll take her to the pond while you set up." Carl offered noticing how anxious his little sister was to see the ducks. Rick handed him a loaf of bread and the two headed off to the pond as quick as Judith's little legs would carry her.

Rick had almost forgotten how much simple things mattered like spending time together. All three of them needed to be out of the house and away from the bad memories that lingered there like a ghost. Often he had thought of moving away but he had Carl to think about, and moving him away from his school and all his friends would probably do more harm than good at this point.

He spread out the blanket and unpacked the picnic hamper. As he watched Carl and Judith feeding the ducks he had the strong belief that he could finally begin to put his family back together. Lori's suicide had torn him asunder making him feel as if he didn't have the right to be happy ever again, and his feelings of guilt were being manifested in his children making them all unhappy.

"Hey dad look who's here!" Carl cried out from across the park.

Rick looked up to see Carl coming back with Ms. Mitchell in tow. She was wearing a spandex outfit so she must have been running. Rick tried not to stare but it was hard when so much toned skin was showing.

"Aah hi." Rick stood up and held out his hand for her to shake feeling foolish as soon as he did. Michonne didn't take his hand she just smiled.

"Have lunch with us." Carl said. "We have more than enough food."

"Oh I wouldn't want to spoil you're family outing."

"No it's OK isn't it dad."

"Sure at least have a bottle of water." He opened the cooler and handed her one.

"Thanks." She opened the bottle of water and drank it down as if she'd been wandering the desert for days.

Rick watched with a sort of hypnotized fascination until he saw that Carl was watching him watch her quickly he pulled his eyes away.

His son smirked at him and patted the space between him and his sister. "Sit down Ms. Mitchell."

She sat and so did Rick.

"Look my toys" Judith said holding up one of her plastic zoo animals.

"What a cute elephant."

"We play." Judith said and handed Michonne a tiger.

Rick watched the two of them fondly Judith normally wasn't comfortable with strangers, but he realized that since he and Carl were at ease with her so was Jude. Michonne made animal noises for each of the animals that Jude handed her and said their names.

"Rawr, tiger."

"She likes you Ms. Mitchell" Carl said.

"I like her too, Michonne said, she such a little cutie."

Michonne stayed and had lunch with them and Carl and Judith monopolized most of her time. When the picnic was over she helped them clean up.

"Thanks for staying for lunch it meant a lot to my children."

"I'm just glad to see the three of you getting out and about."

"Well some very smart lady told me I should."

"Da-ad Jude wet herself."

Rick flustered and covered his face with his hands. "I swear She's potty trained, mostly potty trained."

"Rome wasn't built in a day"

"I didn't bring any extra pull-ups so I should probably get going."

"I'll see you in class tomorrow Carl, and the next time I see you Mr. Grimes hopefully it will be at at parent teacher conference."

Rick watched Michonne go enjoying the way she looked from behind. He watched her walk until he couldn't see her anymore.

"She's really nice isn't she dad?" Carl asked at his side suddenly making him jump.

"Yes she is."

"Jude likes her too."

"Yeah she does."

"What about you dad? Do you like Ms. Mitchell?"

Rick stared at Carl wondering what his son was really asking him.

**3**

Carl took his time gathering up his books after English class so that he could wait until all the other students had left to talk to Ms. Mitchell. He watched her for a few seconds as she wiped off the whiteboard before making his approach.

"Ms. Mitchell."

"Yes?"

He felt his face turning red and he wished he did not have the annoying habit of blushing every time he felt uncomfortable which was just about every second of his life. "I er I wrote something, a story, and I was wondering if you could tell me what you thought about it. I mean since you teach English and everything. Not that you have to or anything I know you're busy. Oh how he wish he could stop rambling.

"Carl, Ms. Mitchell said, I'd be honored to read your story."

When Carl's dad had asked him what he wrote about the other day he had wanted to tell him, but he was too embarrassed. His story was about a police officer that died in the line of duty and came back as a ghost who haunted murders until they confessed. He wasn't sure how his dad would take it especially since he'd partially based his protagonist off of his father.

Ms. Mitchell sat behind her desk and began reading his story. Carl stood there with bated breath waiting. Why had he given her his paper? She would probably hate it. Up until now he had convinced himself that he could actually write and now he was convinced he was the worst writer in the world. He wanted to run from the room he had never shown anyone his writing, not even his friends, and now he was showing it to a teacher she would probably laugh at him. She would probably tell him that he should never write anything again.

"I'm impressed, for someone so young you seem to have quite an understanding of the inner workings of an adult mind."

"So you don't think it sucks?"

"No Carl I don't think it sucks you have a way with words and that's something that can't be taught."

"Really!"

"Yes really."

"You're not just saying that?"

"Carl do I seem like the type to just say things?"

"No."

"I was going to write more but I didn't know if was any good."

"Your story needs work but you should continue to write. There's a youth writing camp in Atlanta this year maybe you could talk to your father about attending."

"That sounds kind of cool I'll talk to my dad." Carl said taking his story back. "Oh did my dad stop by?"

"What!" Ms. Mitchell's head snapped up and her mouth dropped open.

"My dad said he was going to stop by your house to make a welfare check."

"Oh, yes he stopped by briefly."

Carl stared at Michonne and wondered why she seem so flustered. Was it because she liked his dad? Carl was pretty sure that his dad, as his uncle Jeffrey would say, was warm for Ms. Mitchell's form. He had seen his dad at the park checking his teacher out which he found gross and amusing at the same time. Sunday Ms. Mitchell had come by their house to drop off some books she'd brought as a present for Judith, and his dad had invited Ms. Mitchell in for coffee. Carl had heard the two of them in the kitchen and when his dad spoke he actually sounded happy and he was laughing. He could not remember the last time he had heard the sound of his father's laughter.

The ideal of his dad dating still made Carl feel a bit uncomfortable, but if his dad did start dating again he wouldn't mind it if it was Ms. Mitchell. It had been two years since his mom had died and in those two years his dad had not showed interest in any woman. Plenty of women from their church had tried to become the next Mrs. Grimes. Some of the women who tried were the very same women who had talked about his mother being unfit. Carl had disliked every single one of them. He had hated how they dropped by the house with out being invited and feinted interest in him, all the while talking about how they could take much better care of Judith than his mom had. They acted as if his dad was a prize at a raffle and they were holding the winning ticket.

Ms. Mitchell had never said anything about his mom even though Carl knew she had heard all the rumors about her. When he had shown her a picture of his mom she told him that his mother was beautiful and he knew she did not think his mom was going to hell for what she had done.

No one could ever replace his mother and he knew his dad would never forget his mom either, but she would want them to be happy and Ms. Mitchell made them all happy. Without Ms. Mitchell around his dad would probably go back to being depressed. Judith would go back to being quiet and he would go back to being ignored, and he couldn't go back to living that way not when they had the chance to finally be happy again.

"Ms. Mitchell." Carl said struck with a sudden ideal. "Do you think you could talk to my dad about that writing camp?"

"Sure."

"Like maybe tonight my dad doesn't have to work and he made lasagna for dinner it's really good."

Ms. Mitchell gave Carl a skeptical stare as if she knew exactly what it was he was up to.

"_Please,_ if you talked to him I know he'd say yes about that writing camp, and you could have your conference at the same time."

"Don't you think you should ask your father if all of this is OK first?"

"He won't mind and Jude will be really happy to see you again."

That did it. Carl knew if he mentioned his sister there'd be no way she could say no, but she made him call his father first so that she could talk to him. His father agreed like he knew that he would proving to Carl that his dad did in fact like his teacher.

When Carl got home from school he noticed that his dad had shaved and put on one of his nicer shirts. The whole house had been cleaned up and the table was set. Usually the kitchen table was covered with old newspapers, library books and mail but today it'd been polished and their nice dishes sat atop it.

"Smells good in here." Carl noted.

"I just want to make a good impression on your teacher."

"I'll bet you do." Carl said under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing."

His father gave him the same skeptical look Ms. Mitchell had, as if he too was exactly sure what Carl was up to.

If his father and Ms. Mitchell knew what he was up to, and they went ahead with his plans anyway, that only meant one thing to Carl. That they wanted this date to happen as much as he did.


	4. Chapter 4 Lifelines

**4. Lifelines**

Michonne stared in her closet wondering why she was taking so long to choose an outfit it wasn't like she was going on a date it was a parent teacher conference. "Who am I kidding Alley I've been set up." She had to laugh at the fact that she'd been set up by one of her students. Did her social life seem that bad that thirteen year olds were setting her up now?

She hadn't been on anything close to a date since the shooting. It was hard enough just making it through one day she couldn't handle the added stress of a relationship. After the shooting she stayed inside and hardly opened the curtains. she never slept she spent her nights talking to herself and pacing the halls of her condo. . Her phone rang but she didn't pick it up she couldn't bring herself to talk to anyone. The state of nonbeing had taken her over so slowly that she didn't even notice how she had faded away from the world. The shooting had changed her whole reality. She was no longer Michonne. Now she was the teacher that had a scar from where a student she saw in class everyday shot her. Every time she had to look at the gun shot wound on her thigh she would cry. Whenever she closed her eyes she would hear the screams, and then it was getting to where she didn't even have to close her eyes she heard their screams all the time. The faces of the students that died haunted her. She saw their faces in random young people she passed on the street. If she drove by as school she would break out in a cold sweat. The outside world was too loud, too open, too unpredictable.

A school shooting was every teacher's nightmare. After watching her students die Michonne had wanted to distance herself from her students at Possum Holler, but it hadn't worked,she couldn't be a teacher and be distant towards her students. Carl Grimes had found his way right into her heart. Now it seemed his whole family was finding a place into her heart.

Michonne finally decided to wear her red charmeuse shell top with flutter sleeves and a pair of her well broken in Levi's. She added a pair of silver hoop earrings and a silver bangle. "What do you think Alley, have I perfected the I'm trying but I'm not trying too hard look or not?"

Allegory meowed and jumped down from the bed.

"I'll take that as a yes." Rick had asked her to come over at six so Michonne had a little time, and since she didn't like coming over to anyone's house empty handed she made a picture of ginger lemonade to bring over. It wasn't a far drive to Rick's house. He lived in a ranch three streets down from her. She pulled her Camry in his driveway behind his Durango. Michonne checked herself in her rearview mirror one last time to make sure she didn't have lipstick on her teeth or anything else embarrassing then collected her ginger lemonade and Carl's files and rang the doorbell.

"Hello Michonne." Rick said answering the door. He was wearing a green apron over his clothes that said: He who cooks is king. "Dinner isn't quite ready yet but please have a seat in the living room."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No you're the guest relax."

"I brought some ginger lemonade I hope you'll like it."

"We'll love it I'm sure I'll just go put this in the refrigerator."

Michonne noticed that the whole house had been cleaned up since she'd been there. The living room had a Country Living feel to it. It was very quaint and cozy and Michonne imagined that Lori must have been very house proud. There were pictures of Rick, Lori,Carl and Judith hung up on the walls and on the fireplace mantel. They all looked so happy in their pictures and Michonne wondered what went wrong. How had what seemed like such a happy family become such a broken family?

"Ms. Mitchell when did you get here?" Carl asked coming into the living room with his little sister,who was holding a book, in his arms. "I didn't hear the doorbell."

"I just got here a few minutes ago."

"Oh, no wonder I didn't hear you come in I was giving Jude a bath and she totally soaked me. I had to change clothes." Carl put his sister down.

"You help your father out a lot don't you that's very nice."

"My dad has to work at lot so I look out for Jude."

Michonne smiled sadly. Carl was dealing with so much trying to be an adult and not quite succeeding.

Judith climbed up on the couch beside Michonne and put her book in Michonne's lap. "You read me peez"

Michonne picked up the book, Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp, and was pleasantly surprised because it was one of the books she'd given to Judith as a gift.

"She always wants that one now." Carl explained. "Dad and I are sick of reading it."

"Well it's a good thing I'm not." Michonne said. She opened the book and started to read making voices for each of the characters. Judith moved closer and listened with rapt attention. Carl sat on the other side of her laughing at the voices she put on. Moments like this were the reason why Michonne had become an English teacher. To her there was no better feeling than installing a life long love of reading in a child. There was nothing better than giving them to tools to go out and be anyone they believed that they could become. When Michonne finished the story Judith clapped her tiny hands.

Rick came out of the kitchen sans apron to announce that dinner was ready.

"It's about time I'm starving." Carl grumbled and picked his sister up from the couch.

"It smells wonderful."

"Thank you, Rick said to Michonne, it's nice to know someone appreciates my culinary expertise."

"Yeah right, Lasagna is the only thing you know how to cook."

"Quiet you." Rick said and took his daughter from his son and sat her in her booster seat.

Carl was right when he said that his father's lasagna was good. "This taste wonderful Mr. Grimes, Rick."

"Thanks it's my mom's recipe."

"So dad what are we doing this summer?' Carl asked.

"Oh we might visit your grandparents in Atlanta and then maybe go camping. Why do you ask?"

Michonne exchanged a hopeful look with Carl. "Well speaking of Atlanta there's a youth writing camp going on down there this summer, and I think it would be really beneficial for Carl to attend. It only last two weeks so you'd still have time for your other plans as well"

Rick wiped off Judith's mouth. "Really? Does that sound like something you'd like to do Carl?"

"Yeah!"

"Well I brought a pamphlet if you'd like more information on it". She handed the pamphlet to Rick.

"What you name?" Judith asked pointing at Michonne.

"My name is Mimi."

"Mimi, Mimi." Judith sang.

Carl looked at her questioningly.

"Mimi is what my nephews and nieces call me. Do I not look like a Mimi to you?"

"Mimi is an old lady's name. You're not old."

"Bless you my child."

"So, Rick began, would you like dessert or would you like to get started on the conference?"

"I couldn't eat another bite so I think it's best we get started."

Carl took his cue to leave and lifted Judith out of her booster seat and took her from the room.

Rick watched them go and then as soon as they were out of earshot turned back to Michonne. "Are my sons grades OK?" Is he going to pass?"

"Yes, I was going to recommend he take my AP English class next year."

"Good then if you don't mind could I tell you what happened with my wife. I think maybe it will help you to help me with my son."

"Of course."

"I think I need a beer, would you like one."

"Sure."

Rick grabbed two Heinekens from the refrigerator. "Is a bottle fine or would you like a glass?"

"A bottle is fine thank you."

Rick sat across from Michonne and twisted the cap of his beer and nervously spun it for a second. He took a long pull from his beer before speaking, and when he did speak he looked at a spot on the wall just above Michonne's head as if looking in her eyes was too hard. She knew that feeling all to well.

"I got the call over my radio. They didn't say what had happened just that there was an incident at my house. I put on my siren and did well over ninety miles per hour all the way there." Rick closed his eyes and took another drink from his beer. "She was dead when I got there but her body was still in the car. She'd run a hose from the tailpipe of the exhaust to the front seat of the car."

"Oh Rick I am so sorry." Michonne said she had not taken a drink of her beer yet.

"She left a note that said:_ 'I know that I'm a shitty wife and I'm not winning any mother of the year awards, but I need you to know that I love you. I've always loved you. I love Carl and Judith always. I'm sorry that I wasn't strong enough to stay.'_ I read that note and lost it. I just broke down and started screaming my partner said I needed to think of my children, and when I pulled myself together and turned around there were Carl and Judith.

Michonne was crying silent tears that she didn't even bother to wipe away.

"Carl saw her being brought out on a stretcher her body was covered by a sheet but he wanted to see her. He wouldn't believe me when I told him she was dead. I never told him how his mother died but he knew. He started screaming that I killed Lori. He wanted the other officers to put me in the back of a cruiser and take me to jail. I wanted them to take me to jail too because in that moment I thought Carl was right, my indifference did kill my wife."

Michonne wanted to say something to Rick but what was there to say? No wonder he looked like he was about to fall apart at the seams when she'd first saw him. Carl had that same look about him too, that look like he'd just come undone, and nothing could put him back together. It was a look that she could instantly recognize now.

"Carl didn't speak to me for a two months after his mother died, Rick looked up with watery red rimmed eyes, and looked into Michonne's eyes, then you came and you got him to start writing and it helped him. I don't even think he knew he had that talent, but now that he does it's like a new outlet for him. I heard you in there reading to my daughter and I just want to thank you. Lori will never get to do that for her but she needs that. I need that"

"I think I need it too."

**2**

It was nine o clock and Carl suddenly realized that he had not heard the front door open or close. He looked out of his bedroom window and saw that Ms. Mitchell's car was still parked in the driveway he wondered what she was still doing here so late. There was no way that she and his father could still be having their conference. He paused his video game, opened his door as quietly as possible, and crept out into the hallway.

The pair were still in the kitchen he could just make out the sound of their voices. He tiptoed closer and stuck his head in the doorway, and there was his dad and Ms. Mitchell at the sink doing dishes together his dad had rolled up his sleeves and was handing a plate to Ms. Mitchell to dry. Their voices were so low that he couldn't hear what they were saying, but he knew it wasn't about him or how he was doing in school, for one thing Ms. Mitchell had her shoes off, and for another his dad was staring at his teacher's boobs. Carl turned around and crept back into his room before he died of second hand embarrassment. He lied down on his bed and stared up at his ceiling. The solar system that he and his father had painted when he was eight years old was still up there. They had gotten blue paint all over themselves and his mom had said they looked like smurfs. She would never tell him anything like that again.

He couldn't help but wonder how his mother would feel about his father getting with another woman. It gave him a funny feeling to think about. He knew that his father would not remain single forever, and even though he did like Ms. Mitchell his dad's moving on felt somehow disloyal. Sometimes Carl didn't want his father to be happy. A selfish and very stubbron part of him still wanted to punish his father for his mother's death. It was easier to blame his dad than to accept the fact that his mother killed herself, because that somehow meant that he wasn't worth living for. Carl sometimes wondered if his mother ever loved him or Judith at all because if she had how could she have done what she did? There were times when he even hated his mother for leaving them all alone, but in the end that only lead to him hating himself and now he just wanted all of those feelings to be gone.

That's how Ms. Mitchell had helped him. She told him to write down his feelings and when he did he found it helped him sort out all the shit that had been churning in his mind all day. _She did that mom not you!_ Carl thought bitterly. _She's here now not you!_ His brain raged and once it set off on a crazy tangent like this it was hard to stop. _You could have been here. I still wish you were, but you didn't want us. Did you hate life with us that much? I didn't even get to say goodbye. Why wasn't I even good enough for a goodbye?_

Finally he heard the front door open and he got off his bed and looked out the window. His dad was walking Ms. Mitchell to her car and he opened the door for her and then closed it for her. She waved to his father before pulling off. His father watched her car go then turned back into the house. He heard his father whistling down the hall as he made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth and get ready for bed. Carl wondered what the two of them had talked about. Had they talked about his mother? Did his dad tell her about that awful day? The stretcher carrying his mother's body had seem so flat that he could not believe that his mother was under that blanket. Carl had wanted to see that it was really her but his father hadn't let him look. He let out a huge sigh wishing his mind would switch off and give him a break, but he knew that he wouldn't be sleeping any time soon tonight, so he picked up the spiral bound notebook Ms. Mitchell had given him and began to write.

Carl woke up the next morning to the smell of breakfast that his father was cooking.

"How do you like your eggs?" His dad had asked.

"Um on a plate." Carl responded so shocked that his dad was cooking breakfast. His dad didn't cook eggs and he certainly never cooked types of eggs. Usually in the mornings he just grabbed a pop tart and ate it on the way to the bus.

"I thought we should try eating at the table again."

"OK."

"It was nice last night eating at the table wasn't it?"

Carl nodded. They sat down and ate breakfast together, and though they didn't talk much there wasn't the usual feeling of tension in the air either. Carl felt like he was sitting down eating breakfast with his dad again and not a stranger.

"I thought we'd go camping this summer just me and you that way Jude will get to bond with grandma and grandpa what do you think?"

"That would be all right."

"Good. I don't want you growing up without me realizing it Carl. I know I've made a lot of mistakes, and there are a lot of wrongs that I can't right but we're going to be all right."

"I know dad." For right now that was the closest thing to I love you either of them were likely to utter.

It had been almost three years now since his mom's death and they were finally getting back to the place where they saw each other and not their own grief. Carl had always thought when people died that you mourned together but, they never discussed his mother's suicide his dad never even said the word both of them just kept their feelings about her to themselves. "Can we go see her?" Carl ask without elaborating he knew his dad would know what he meant.

His dad had looked at him for the longest time fork poised in mid air. "Yeah Carl we can go see her we'll even buy her some flowers." So the three of them had gone to his mother's grave. It had been so long since any of them had been there he'd almost forgotten what it looked like. They brought red geraniums, his mom's favorite, to put on her grave. Judith stood between the two of them not understanding why her brother and father were crying, and after a few minutes looked ready to cry herself until his father lead her away. Carl kneeled on his mother's grave and traced his fingers over her name. He wasn't sure that he believed in heaven, but he hated to think of his mother lying in the cold hard ground. He took a look around to make sure no one was near or his father wasn't coming back before he began to speak. "I miss you mom but I can't keep going on hating you and hating myself. I think maybe dad might have found someone. I don't know if she likes dad yet, but he likes her and so does Jude. I like her too. I don't know why you did what you did, but I don't think you meant to hurt anyone." He couldn't talk anymore everything just felt too raw, as if he'd just picked a healed over scab. Carl stared at his mother's grave wishing that he could hear her voice or just see her one last time.

"You ready to go son?" His father asked squeezing his shoulder.

He stood and sniffed his tears away. "I'm ready."

Carl was late to school, but as he only had gym first period he did not care. His father had to sign his late pass in the student office and they ran into Ms. Mitchell. She didn't give any indication that she'd been over to their house. Nor did she pay Carl any extra attention than she usually did. He had not expected that she would, his dad however was a different story. Carl knew a lot of women in Possum Holler wanted his dad but at times like this he couldn't see why. He kept staring at Ms. Mitchell with his goofy cheese ball grin on his face and rubbing the back of his neck the way he did when he was nervous.

"Oh hi, his dad said with a little wave, I was just dropping Carl off we're running a little late today."

"Well as long as you're not late to my class I won't hold it against you."

"Right, no he'll be on time. He'll definitely be on time."

"I should go I don't want to be late for algebra too." Carl left in a hurry, but when he'd looked back his father was still standing in the student office talking to Ms. Mitchell.

**3**

Rick poured himself a cup of coffee. It tasted like shoe polish and probably had been sitting around for a week and a half, but so long as he didn't have to make it he didn't care. He walked back to his untidy desk and set his coffee mug on a stack of papers. If he never had to do paperwork again it would be too soon, filing endless and meaningless reports was not what he expected he would be doing with most of his time when he'd became a cop. He didn't think he'd be wearing a bullet proof vest and taking out crime lords either, but he at least thought he'd work in a major city. Mostly he was a baby-sitter breaking up petty domestic squabbles. Neighbors fighting over property lines and loud music. Parents at their wits end dealing with their surly teenagers. Married couples who liked to use the police as a cheap form of marriage counseling, but he was too much of a police officer now to become anything else. He'd gone into the police academy right after high school and been working as a police officer ever since. The Possum Holler police department wasn't exactly glamorous or exciting but it's what he knew and it's what payed the bills.

Rick's cell buzzed in his pocket he pulled it out and answered it. "Sheriff Rick Grimes speaking."

"Rick it's Michonne, could you come over to my place please?"

"Michonne what is it?" Rick said feeling a wave of apprehension chase down his spine. It sounded as if she was crying.

"I can't talk about it over the phone, but please hurry!"

"I'll be right there!" Rick put down the phone and hurried out to his cruiser. He floored it to Michonne's house feeling a sickening sense of déjà vu. She had not said she was hurt so he had to believe that she was all right and there was something else that had upset her. He pulled up into her driveway and hurried to her front door. "Michonne its officer Grimes."

Michonne opened the front door so fast that she must have been standing in front of it waiting for him to come. "It's out back on my patio I couldn't stand to bring it in the house. "

Curious Rick followed Michonne to her back yard patio.

"There in that box." She said and ran back in to the house.

Absolutely puzzled Rick bent a down in front of a Tiffany's blue box and peered inside. Rick gasped no wonder Michonne was so upset it was her cat Allegory, or what was left of her was stuffed in the blue box. Allegory's bloody dismembered body was nestled in white tissue paper that was now drenched red. The cat had been decapitated and her head lie next to the pieces of her mutilated body.

"Michonne?" Rick called as he walked back into her house. He didn't see her in the kitchen so he walked into her living room. "Michonne?" He didn't get an answer instead he could hear the sounds of her retching coming from the bathroom. Rick waited politely outside while the toilet flushed followed by the sink running.

"Sorry about that." Michonne said slowly walking out of the bathroom. Her eyes were still rimmed with tears. "There was a card taped to the inside of the box lid, but I didn't touch it.

Rick went back outside and took a pair of vinyl gloves from his pocket and opened up the card. The card was blank but inside of the card was a note typed in all caps. You're next bitch! Rick decided not to show Michonne the card it would only upset her more.

"When did you find this?"

"About fifteen minutes ago when I went outside to look for Alley."

"Don't worry I'm going to find who did this."

"I already know who did it, Nick Hayden he killed my cat."

Rick remembered Nick he was the student that had gotten expelled for plagiarizing an English paper. "I wouldn't doubt it, look I'm sorry but I'm going to have to take your cat's body in for evidence."

"I don't care I can't stand seeing it anymore." Michonne said and burst into fresh tears.

"I promise you I'll get him, and I'll keep watch on your place tonight." Rick called in the incident and another officer came out to take Michonne's statement and remove the cat's body. Rick handed over his report and photos. After the second officer left Michonne curled up in a ball on her couch covered by a blanket and looking very much like a small child.

"Can I get you anything?" Rick asked.

"How could he do that to a defenseless animal? He's mad at me I get it, but why hurt my cat?" Michonne shook her head. "I've had Alley since my junior year in college and now she's gone."

Rick stood there feeling awkward as hell. She had been there for him so many times and now that the tables were turned he couldn't do a damn thing.

"What does it say about our society when so many young people are so unblinkingly violent?"

"I don't know Michonne I wish I could tell you, but I do know as long as I'm around I won't let anything happen to you." Fate, kismet, destiny Rick wasn't sure if he believed in any of that but he was sure that Michonne found her way into his life for a reason. The two of them kept meeting up and that had to mean something. His son and daughter adored her and that had to mean something as well. It meant a lot to him that his children who had been hurting so much like this woman, it made him like her too. He wanted to get to know her as more than just Carl's teacher and that scared him. He hadn't thought about being with a woman since his wife died, but he thought about Michonne a lot.

He thought about the way she made him feel whenever she smiled at him. He thought about the way she looked in those jeans she wore when she came over to dinner. He remembered the way it felt when she'd rolled up his sleeves so that he could wash dishes. Her hands had felt warm, soft and feminine on his skin and that whole night he wanted to find any excuse for her to touch him again. While they were washing the dishes he kept sneaking what he hoped were surreptitious glances at her, but he was pretty sure she knew that he was checking her out. Michonne made him feel like a high school boy with a hopeless crush.

"It's the worst feeling in the world wanting to save young people and know that there are just some you can't reach."

"Remember when you told me I can't keep blaming myself?" Rick asked. "Well the same applies to you, you can't keep blaming yourself. You're not responsible for every kid in the world Michonne."

"That's the weird thing I don't even want to save Nick I just don't want any of this. I just wish there was somewhere I could go where violence couldn't reach me."

"It won't, not here. Now sit tight and I'll make you a cup of tea."

"You don't have to."

Rick searched Michonne's kitchen until he found a box of chamomile tea and a dainty tea cup with roses on it. He filled up her copper kettle and set it on her stove to boil.

"Don't you have to get back to work?"

Rick spun around. "You scared me." He said to Michonne who he had not heard come into the kitchen.

"Sorry I just thought I'd help you with the tea." As if on cue the kettle whistled and Michonne got down a second tea cup and poured tea for the both of them.

"I am doing my work, Rick replied, I told you I'm going to keep you safe and I meant it. You mean too much to me and my children for me to let anything happen to you."


	5. Chapter 5 The Beginning of the end

**5. The Beginning of the end**

**1**

Michonne woke up covered in sweat and tangled in sheets, her stomach was knotted, a wave a nausea rolled over her, she almost screamed out loud before she remembered she was having a nightmare. The hardest part about nightmares she thought, was convincing yourself that they weren't real. She rubbed her face with trembling hands and took a few deep breaths to will her racing heart back to it's normal pace. She could not have a panic attack, not in Rick's house, she did not want him to see her that way.

After Michonne called Rick over about Alley he stayed with her for most of the day. Rick had helped her pack up all of Allegory's things and took them to the local thrift store for her. He checked every square inch of her house inside and out, and over apple pie listened to her ramble on incessantly about Allegory. Not once had he rolled his eyes while she talked about her cat. She was pretty sure Rick would have stayed eating pie with her all day if she hadn't pushed him to go back to work.

"You getting sick of me?"

"No, I don't want you getting fired because of me."

"I won't get fired I'm the sheriff."

"You've stayed with me long enough, I'll be fine." Michonne lied.

"Don't try to tough it out on your own, stay with me this weekend, you should be surrounded by people who care about you. "

"What about Carl? I'm his teacher all of this could get pretty awkward."

"I'll explain to him what's happened he'll understand. I know you're his teacher, but you're still human and that should come first."

"OK." Michonne said. Staying over at Rick's house for a weekend seemed like a bad ideal, but staying in her house by herself seemed even worse.

"I'll drop you off at my house on my way back to work, but don't worry you won't be alone Carl and Judith will be there to keep you company."

Michonne packed a small suitcase of all the things she would need, it felt odd not having to worry about Allegory. The only reminder she had of her cat were pictures and her collar.

Rick drove Michonne back to his house, and called Carl on the way explaining the situation to him. When his cruiser pulled into the driveway neither of them got out of the car.

"I'm glad you decided to stay, I just realized there's only one week of school left, and when summer vacation starts I won't have an excuse to come see you." He looked up at her through his eyelashes and Michonne wondered if Rick was always this shy or just around her.

"You don't need an excuse."

"Does that mean I can take you out to dinner?" Rick leaned over and unfastened her seat belt.

Michonne looked down at Rick's hands, if she looked up she'd be looking into his eyes, and if she looked into his eyes she would kiss him, but it wasn't only Rick she had to think about.

"You never said if I could take you out to dinner."

"I'd like that."

Rick unbuckled his seat belt and Michonne felt him move closer. She was still looking at Rick's hands noticing that he wasn't wearing his wedding ring, he must have just recently removed it though, because the skin was still pale where the ring had once been.

"Michonne?"

"Yes?" She looked up into his eyes damming herself, if he kissed her now he would send her too far down the rabbit hole to stop any feelings she had for him.

Rick leaned over and nudged her lips with his, parting Michonne's mouth, his warm mouth still tasted like the sweet remnant of apple pie they'd been eating earlier. His mouth completely captured hers working it open so that he could kiss her even deeper. Michonne felt herself melting.

The windows of the cruiser fogged up as they made out Michonne's fingers curled into his hair ,she let out a soft moan as the weight of his body pressed her into the door ,and she'd thought she'd die from the feeling of Rick's hard chest pressing into her's. Rick's kisses were slow, soft and lingering. He took his time as if he wanted to remember the exact shape and feel of her mouth. Michonne's arm trailed down from Rick's hair to his forearm holding on to it as leverage to lean up and kiss him harder. In that small space and being that close it felt timeless, like a million years could pass and they'd still be kissing. Rick's hand stroked the side of her face and then trailed through her locs. He pulled on the end playfully and she gave his lip a nip.

Rick broke their kiss and gave her an amorous look over. "I shouldn't have done that, but I've wanted to for a while now."

"Why shouldn't you have?"

"It was even better than I thought it would be"

Rick had thought about kissing her. Too far down the rabbit hole indeed.

"We'd better get inside."

Michonne nodded the feeling of Rick's kisses still lingering on her lips. She wanted to follow Rick to his room and take off his clothes, she spent so much time checking him out in his uniform she knew he wouldn't disappoint, but there was a whole set of extenuating circumstances that needed to be addressed before sex. Rick was a widower, and she was Carl's teacher.

Rick carried Michonne's suitcase into the guest bedroom for her. Michonne sat down on the four-poster bed and smoothed out an invisible wrinkle on the patchwork quilt.

"Are you OK?"

"I'm wasn't expecting you to kiss me."

"I'm sorry."

"I not upset, I'm just surprised."

"I didn't know that I was going to kiss you, it's been so long since I could even think about kissing someone."

"Are you OK?"

"I don't know, I'm an older widower with two kids trying to get with a beautiful woman half my age."

"I'm not half your age."

"Feels like it, I've got baggage Michonne."

"I've got baggage too Rick, everyone does."

"I don't want to ruin what we have, I mean what are the odds of finding a woman who not only likes me, but likes my children as well?"

"If you want to take things slow I understand, in fact I think we should take things slow."

Rick tilted Michonne's chin upward and dropped a slow deep kiss on her lips. "Slow it is."

There was a knock on the door. "Michonne are you decent?"

Michonne got out of bed pulled on her robe. "Come in."

"Hi, did you sleep well?" Rick asked.

"Yes." She lied.

"I made coffee if you'd like some."

"Thanks, just let me get showered and dress and I'll meet you in the kitchen"

After her shower Michonne joined Rick in the kitchen. "What would you like for breakfast?"

"I can't let you cook your my guest."

"Why don't we both cook then?"

"Well all right." Rick said and slipped his He who cooks is king apron over Michonne's head and tied it around her waist. "It looks cuter on you."

Rick was close enough that Michonne could smell his cologne, Acqua di Gio. He smelled so damn good Michonne wanted to bury her face in his chest and sniff him, but instead she asked. "Does this mean I'm the king?"

"I believe it does."

"Well as your king I'm ordering you to start frying up the bacon."

"Yes your majesty."

Michonne found out where the frying pans were kept and put one on the stove top. "Do you like Spanish omelettes?"

"Si."

Michonne laughed. "You're pretty damn cute sometimes."

Rick blushed.

"Mimi!"

Michonne spun around in the middle of whisking eggs. Carl and Judith had come into the kitchen both were still in their pajamas.

"Hi there Judith."

The two-year old toddled over to Michonne, and she bent down to Judith's height and gave her a hug.

"We play zoo in my room Mimi."

Rick laughed. "Let her eat first Jude."

"Hey Ms. Mitchell." Carl said looking at Michonne as if she didn't quite belong.

She couldn't blame him it must be off putting to have your teacher sleeping in your house. It would be like having the superintendent sleeping over at her house.

"I'm sorry about your cat."

"Thank you."

"Do you think maybe Nick Hayden killed your cat? He killed a turtle in science lab in eighth grade."

"Carl." Rick warned.

"Well he did! He just took his head and-"

"Talk about something else Carl."

Michonne plucked three oranges from the fruit bowl on the counter and began to juggle. Misdirection was a good way to stop an impending argument.

Judith laughed and clapped. "Again Mimi again!"

Michonne took up Judith's request and juggled one more time.

"Where did you learn how to juggle?" Rick asked.

"I used to work at one of those medieval restaurant as a serving wench, and I was dating one of the court jesters, he taught me how to juggle."

"Sounds cool" Carl said.

"It wasn't but it helped pay for college, but once they learned I could speak Shakespearean and fence they gave me a broadsword, and promoted me to knight."

"Did you joust?"

"No I just acted in staged sword fights."

"Maybe you'll show me sometime." Rick said.

"If you're lucky."

**2**

Rick looked at himself in the mirror before he started his morning shave. He hoped that he didn't appear as old as he felt to Michonne. It had been a long time since he was as attracted to a woman as he was to Michonne. This summer would be the third year anniversary of Lori's death, three years both felt too long and not long enough. Rick did not want his feelings for Michonne do be developed as they were, or least the part of him that missed Lori and still felt guilty over her death didn't, but the rest of him, the bigger part of him wanted to get to know Michonne. He was sure she wanted to get to know him too, or else she wouldn't have kissed him, and what a kiss it had been. Rick wondered what Michonne saw when she looked at him. Did she see an attractive man? Or did she just see an old tired white cop eight years her senior?

When he looked at Michonne he saw someone young, vivacious, and beautiful. He saw a woman so selfless that she was willing to risk her life for her students. Rick had remembered watching CNN coverage about the school shooting, Michonne's name had been among the name of teacher's that had stayed inside the school to protect their students. Rick had been amazed the lengths she'd gone through for her students, and last night he had kissed her.

Even when Rick was sixteen years old he didn't make out in his car with girls. The girls at his school had always liked Rick, but he felt too gangly, goofy and too shy to ask girls out. His best friend Shane Walsh had gotten all the girls.

"You gotta loosen up man, no chick wants to date Julius Kelp." Shane had always said. It was easy for someone like Shane to say that, Shane was handsome, athletically gifted, and always knew the right thing to say. Rick had played on the baseball team with Shane, and while Rick was good Shane was a phenomenon, and everyone was sure he'd turn pro, but he chosen the police academy instead, and convinced Rick to join him. Now Shane was a homicide detective in Atlanta with no shortage of female friends.

Rick thought about Shane's advice. He needed to loosen up with Michonne the trouble was he got nervous around her and it made him shy, but she seemed to like that. He liked that she was not like the other women in town who only seem to want to date him for the status it would give them. In Possum Holler ,where everyone liked to keep up their white picket fence illusions, marrying the right kind of man meant everything to these women. Michonne was able to see past him being a sheriff, a father, and a widower, and see him. Rick finished shaving and washed his face. He gave him self one last glance in the mirror. Perhaps he didn't look that old after all and suddenly he didn't feel so tired.

"I got some good news." Rick said as he entred the kitchen.

Michonne looked up from the picture she was drawing with Judith.

"We caught Nick, the little shit was using a katana to chop up your fence, Rick sighed, the katana is what he used to kill your cat. We thought it might be the weapon he used to umh aasult your cat so we had it tested"

"So I guess criminals really do return to the scene of the crime hun?"

"The really dumb ones do."

"That's a relief of some sort, so what's going to happen to Nick?"

"Well he's been charged with mencing and aggravated cruelty."

"Do you think he'll actually do any time?"

"He's in jail now and will be going to court where they'll try him as an adult. Plus there's the note"

"Note what note?" Michonne narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"I didn't want to tell you that day I thought it might upset you, but that note Nick left said you're next bitch."

"What!"

"I know I should have told you I just-I'm really sorry."

"No, it's all right I know you were just trying to look out for me."

"So what are the two of you drawing?" Rick ask coming over to the table to have a look.

Judith had drawn a picture of him, Carl and Michonne at the zoo, next to going to the park, going to the zoo was her favorite thing to do.

"I draw you daddy."

"I see, you even drew my hat."

Rick poured himself a bowl of Cheerios , sliced a banana into it, and then turned on the TV and sat at the table with Michonne and Judith. The morning news program that was on was interrupted by breaking news.

"We can now confirm thereis one confirmed case of the Cadere virus in Albany, we are getting reports that there maybe several more cases of the Cadere virus, but thoes reports are unconfirmed at this time, however I would like to repeat that there is at least one confirmed case of the Cadere virus in Albany. The virus, which is believed to be passed though saliva, causes rapid decomposition in it's victims and is highly contagious. Little else is known about the Cadere virus at this time"

"Albany that's closer than I'd like it to be." Rick said.

"What would we do if that virus reached here?" Michonne asked. "Is this town even prepared to handle any sort of disaster, natural or otherwise?"

"Well I've been trained for what to do in case of a tornado, flood, fire or mass evacuation due to any of those three things, but a pandemic not so much."

"Maybe I should head to Atlanta with you this summer Rick, and you could drop me off at the CDC along the way."

"We could all go and pick up some Hazmat suits , Rick said, you think they have toddler sized ones for Jude?"

The news continued and the reporters voice suddenly became solemn as they announced that the confirmed case was now a confirmed death.

**3**

Carl was glad Ms. Mitchell was there, she took over all the things he would have never thought to do in a thousand years, while he sat with his sister. Judith had no ideal what was happening with their father, and Carl didn't plan on telling her she wouldn't understand even if he did. He couldn't even wrap his head around it not really. He knew people got murdered, but it was hard to believe that someone had pointed a gun at his dad knowing they might kill him, and pulled the trigger anyway. His mother had killed herself and someone tried to kill his father.

"I packed a bag for you and your sister Carl but you might want to go through them both and make sure I didn't leave anything out." Ms. Mitchell said. "I've canceled your paper, and your neighbor Mrs. Ferguson will be getting your mail for you, I'm not sure how long your dad will be in the hospital."

Carl's cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hey Carl it's Shane, how are you doing?"

"Not so good."

"Well don't worry, I was down at the hospital with yo daddy."

"How is he doing?"

"He got hit in the chest, mighta hit a lung or something cuz they got him on ventilators."

"You don't think he's going to die do you?"

"Rick? Hell no they don't make em like yo daddy any more."

"I hope so."

"I know so, listen is Ms. Mitchell there? I need to talk to her."

"How do you know her?"

"I don't. Rick, when he could talk, told the cops and nurses that she was your baby-sitter, he wants her to bring ya'll down here"

"Why?"

"Yer grandparents are stuck over at Charlotte Douglas, and Lori's parents won't be getting home anytime soon, the CDC suspended all flights in and out of Atlanta, cuz of sumkinda emergency situation down in Albany, So yo daddy wants Michonne to watch ya'll while he's in the hospital. Guess Rick forgot I'm yo godfather.

"Oh." Carl said and handed Ms. Mitchell the phone. Judith squirmed in Carl's arms but he didn't put her down he wanted to keep his sister close by for now. He hugged her tight. Carl wasn't sure if God existed or not, but he decided to pray any way because it couldn't hurt, and maybe God would even show his family a little mercy.

"Change of plans Carl." Michonne said and handed Carl back his phone.

"What's going on?"

"Gary headed off to Atlanta , and Shane is driving here to get us, actually he's more than already halfway here. He said we could stay with him while your dad is in the hospital."

"Good."

"Good, so this Shane is a nice guy?"

"Yeah Shane is cool, he was like my dad's best friend in school, but now he's a homicide detective in Atlanta. When my parents would spend their anniversaries in Branson I would stay with Shane."

"That sounds nice"

"He says my dad is going to be OK."

"He's probably right he's a homicide detective he's seen a lot of gunshots in his time."

Carl wished that he could have as much faith as Shane and Ms. Mitchell, but he'd grown a lot more cynical since his mother had died. Once something devastated your life it was a free for all for every other kind of shit storm to rain down upon you.

Michonne was still walking around the house checking on things when Shane arrived. He gave Carl a huge hug as soon as he saw him.

"He's gonna pull through because you and yo sister are the most important things in the world to him." Shane said when he released him from the hug.

"Will they let me see him when I get there?"

"Don't know, but I'll try pullin some strings if they don't."

The sound of Shane's voice brought Ms. Mitchell into the living room.

"Hi you must be Shane, I'm Michonne Mitchell, Carl's English teacher."

"Well hello there." Shane said giving Michonne a wide grin. "Nice to finally meet you."

" Nice to meet you too. I've got a few more things to wrap up, Carl why don't you start taking things out to Shane's car I'm sure he'd like to get on the road soon."

"She seems to have things in control." Shane said once Ms. Mitchell left the room.

" Yeah she helps dad out a lot."

"Is that right?"

"Dad likes her, I mean he likes her likes her."

"How do you feel about it?"

"It's cool I guess I just never thought about them actually dating and stuff."

"Just another thing for Rick to get well for. I'm telling you give him a few days he'll be right as rain."

Michonne came back into the room. "Well everything that could be taken care of is taken care of."

"Let's hit the road then." Shane said.

Carl ran to the car. They couldn't drive to Atlanta fast enough. He was terrified of his father dying before they could even reach Atlanta. He wished that he could have flown in the helicopter with his dad. He needed to see his father, he wanted to tell him all of the things that he wished he could have said to his mother. Just in case he never got the chance again.


End file.
